What is a realistic weight loss goal for 12 weeks?

TheFutureMrsClark
TheFutureMrsClark Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5'3 and 235lbs and im' trying to set a goal for the next 12 weeks. I want to be ambitious with the goal to keep myself motivated but at the same time i don't want to be disappointed if i don't reach that goal. The reason for 12 weeks is because i signed up for a 5k and it is 12 weeks from today. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • WDEvy
    WDEvy Posts: 814 Member
    Anywhere from 10-20 lbs
  • wilmnoca
    wilmnoca Posts: 416 Member
    20-25lbs.
  • teachmom32
    teachmom32 Posts: 183 Member
    20-25 is quite high, so I disagree with that. I've been doing this since Jan.1 (about 15.5 weeks) and I've lost 17.8 pounds. Your initial loss may be high, but if you are doing this a healthy way, 1 pound a week is a great loss. Just don't get discouraged!
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    Shoot for 12 lbs...a lb a week. You don't have to kill yourself, just walking for as long as you can, up to an hour a day will get you that 12 lbs, and won't wear you out, so that you will be motivated to continue with your weight loss.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Right now, for me? 5 pounds... maybe. It kinda sucks getting so close to my goal, haha. It gets so much harder!
  • musycnlyrics
    musycnlyrics Posts: 323 Member
    I would set the bar at 15lbs...a little over a pound a week. It will be challenging, but not impossible!
    Good luck!
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I'm 5'6' and started at 248 in 2009. I dropped 10 lbs in 4 weeks and continued to do so the first several months of MFP.

    I feel that 10 lbs a month (4 weeks) is very reasonable. Especially since all I was doing at that time was trying to eat fewer cals and play wii fit.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    I would say 10 pounds is realistic. You are quite heavy now so you might lose a lot more than that initially but remember during the week of your period you probably won't lose any weight. So those 12 weeks are really like 8 weeks.
  • tinasneed1
    tinasneed1 Posts: 3
    A healthy weight loss is around 1 to 2 pounds a week. I would say anywhere between 12 to 24 lbs, but don't get discouraged because any weight loss is better than no weight loss if your overweight. There has been a few times I have only lost .02 lbs but thats ok because I lost. The best thing to do is try your best... GOOD LUCK!!!
  • sandobr1
    sandobr1 Posts: 319 Member
    I started around where you are and lost just over 28 pounds in that amount of time with very little exercise, just drastically changing quantity of foods. I have a before pic in my profile. I know for sure the first couple weeks of losses was water, but the better eating habits has me retaining less water, so I in fact do not carry that weight around all the time, where before I am certain I was always in a state of large amounts of water retention.

    ETA - I don't know that my experience is realistic, I set my first short term goal to lose 30 pounds by a certain date, which was about 4 months of time, to the day that was what I had lost. I am losing at a MUCH slower pace and have added a lot of exercise and weights and I eat more too. I am a believer in switching things up to keep going forward with my weight loss. I also have weeks of no losses, in the begin I was pretty much losing, even small amounts daily.
  • brooklyn1142
    brooklyn1142 Posts: 1
    I would say 24 lbs you can lose two pounds a week and still be in the safe zone of losing weight just stay committed and motivated and you will be able to do it good luck i am rooting for you....
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    If I were in your shoes, I'd say 16. That is less than 1.5 pounds a week, and I've been losing at that rate steadily for nine weeks. That's aggressive, but not unreasonably so. Plus, with your starting weight, that gets you under 220, which would be a nice milestone, right? :)
  • albaclara
    albaclara Posts: 5
    I have lost 11 lbs in my first month, and I was on a trip for 5 days, I had my period and I couldn't work out this week because I'm sick :S . I'd say anything between 12-24 lbs is okay, because it would be a nice change and a possible one, I think

    (Sorry my english sucks)
  • Katetw
    Katetw Posts: 188 Member
    Healthy weight loss is 0.5-2 lbs a week. The more you have to lose, the more you can lose a week.
    The important thing to remember is to make SUSTAINABLE changes. Sure, you can do some really drastic changes, but if you think of it as temporary, get the weight off, and then go back to your old ways, the weight WILL come back. So make sure that whatever changes you do make are sustainable.

    I don't know what your goal is/how much you have to lose, but I bet you could do at least 1, maybe 2 lbs a week. That would be 24 lbs in 12 weeks.

    Good luck!
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    12-18 IMO
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    It depends on your starting weight. For a short girl at 230pounds, losing 3 pounds a week is very realistic.

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